“As long as you live, you will be subject to change, whether you will it or not – now glad, now sorrowful; now pleased, now displeased; now devout, now undevout; now vigorous, now slothful; now gloomy, now merry. But a wise man who is well taught in spiritual labor stands unshaken in all such things, and heeds little what he feels, or from what side the wind of instability blows.”

― Thomas à Kempis, 1470

Our emotions are like the weather. Energy, like emotion, must be released or expressed. Forces gather in strength and intensity. A little sun shower now and then is more welcome than a tempest. We are aggressive beings. We love aggressively and we abhor aggressively. Aggression is neither bad nor good. But it does exist and will be expressed whether a little at a time as it presents itself, or all at once as in a war. If we can learn to release all the little aggressions, in productive, meaningful ways, could war become a thing of the past?

“In the great flow and sweep of your eternal reality there will be an overall current of love and creativity that carries you.”

– Jane Roberts

“Flow” by Frances Gaffney

Flow. It just looks impossible. There are always several options available. One could panic and experience the consequences of that choice; one could employ a kind of psychic GoBack and revert to a time before the possibly wrong course was taken; or one could trust intuition to steer oneself toward a safe course. Be open to receive inspiration which will come in the form of a hunch or a sudden idea. Nature will assist and a rock in the stream will divide the water so that it must flow around the impediment.

Deepak Chopra offers this exercise: “In whatever way you can today, go with the flow. Do not resist or oppose; do not control. Proceed with your day without expectations.”

When it has been raining hard for three days and it seems the ground can’t possibly absorb any more water, to go with the flow is a leap. Trust that the trees will not lose their hold. Let the sound of the raindrops be a reminder that rainfall can be pretty. The torrents will slow down as they always must.

There is a difference between what is possible and what is probable. What is probable depends upon your beliefs about what is possible.

We are so excited to be hosting Frances Gaffney this summer as our first Artist-in-Residence! She’ll be working at the AIC May through August, frequenting the trails to create beautiful and thoughtful pieces inspired by the local landscape.

She will not only be here to work on her art, she’ll also be here for you! Throughout the summer, Frances will be available to speak and interact with the public. Every Sunday, guests will discover Frances working out along the trails. Feel free to stop by to observe, chat and share techniques and tips with Frances. She will also be leading drawing and watercoloring workshops on the last Saturday of every month. In these workshops, participants will discover their own artistic style while further developing their skills. Don’t miss out on these unique opportunities to connect with this fantastic local artist!

Rich Lake, by Frances Gaffney, watercolor (15 x 11)

Throughout the summer, Frances will be writing entries for our blog about her work and experiences at the AIC! Learn more about Frances in our Q & A post with her.

At what point did I become leery of bears? I used to blithely stroll alone in the woods with the full belief that bears were shy and wanted nothing to do with me. My friend and neighbor, Pop Todd, grows more blueberry bushes than anyone I know and yet, in over forty years, he has only seen a bear once on his property. He enquired how was I lucky enough to have this majestic creature regularly visit my camp site. Knowing my work he suggested that I did everything to attract a bear – with my thoughts; that I had conjured the bear. After all, I read everything I could about bears and studied how best not to attract them. I asked my neighbors about bear sightings and encounters. I even drew a picture of a bear on my message board. Somehow I became obsessed with the idea of running into a bear. And here he is. I call him Boris.

Frances’s Boris-inspired message board

Things were fine when Boris simply traveled through, leaving his signature smell of wet dog mixed with the back of a garbage truck. One night he made a bluffing sound into my window and I just closed it. Boris didn’t worry me until I came home one day and found that the back of my trailer was torn apart. How far was he willing to go to get my olive oil? I talked to my neighbors some more and learned he has been causing mischief elsewhere so I called the DEC and ratted him out. When I phoned to report this bad behavior a voice on the other end asked if the bear had done anything wrong. Wrong? Did she mean was the bear abusive? Did he use bad language? He tore out the back of my trailer! That’s what he did wrong. If he manages to get in while I’m home we are both going to get hurt. My report was passed along to a wildlife expert who called me later that same day. After talking with him I learned that I was mostly doing things right; I am careful with my garbage; I don’t grill. My kitchen is so clean I don’t even have ants. But I was also doing a couple of things wrong. In order to unconjure the bear I will no longer rinse pots and pans at the outdoor faucet and I will cook before 5 pm as much as possible. I’ll use the air horn to signal that he is unwelcome. It’s a little sad but it is best that Boris moves further into the forest.

Frances’s (hopefully) bear free trailer

Prepare/Beliefs

The painting Prepare/Beliefs was inspired by the promise of abundance in nature. In early June the robin prepares her nest and soon thereafter the beautiful blue eggs appear. She does not worry that she may not lay eggs, she simply prepares for them. Expectation and prepare go together. There is no if in her experience. She expects to lay eggs and prepares for their coming. The robin has no intellect or outer ego, and her preparations are performed by pure and spontaneous use of instinct. What is instinct? It is the innate knowledge which makes manipulation of energy from one form to another possible, and we use it constantly. We are not robins, however, and are hampered to a great extent by our self consciousness.

Prepare – Beliefs 24 x 12 oil on canvas

If it is true that you create your reality according to your beliefs and expectations, you should examine these carefully especially if you do not like some aspect of your world. How do you know what you believe in? Look around. Evidence of your beliefs surrounds you. If you believe in lack, you will drive a battered car, or no car at all, and you will constantly struggle to pay your bills. If you believe in abundance money will flow easily to you and you can expect to see large sums in your bank account. If you suffer through one ailment after another it is evidence of your belief in poor health. A person who trusts their body to remain healthy is not affected by the colds and viruses that plague their worrisome neighbors.

Preparation for anything involves first examining one’s beliefs because whatever one believes about a potential outcome is what one will experience. How does one examine his or her individual beliefs? Begin by examining your feelings. Write down how you feel about a subject. List your intellectual and emotional assumptions.

Below is an example of my own feelings and beliefs about bears beginning with a general feeling of vigilance which led to a more narrow feeling of fear of bears to a changed feeling of safety.

Feelings (emotional assumptions)

Beliefs (intellectual assumptions)

Cautious, vigilant

There is always danger somewhere.

Fearful of bear encounter

Bears are dangerous.

Safe

I have taken proper precautions. Bear behavior is mostly predictable.

What does the bear symbolize for me? Pop Todd pointed out that, having grown up in what to him was the most dangerous place on earth (New York City), that I was looking to find the dangerous thing here in the Adirondacks. There doesn’t have to be a dangerous thing. Look for danger and you create danger.

Thank you, Boris, for pointing out to me that I believed that danger is an inevitable part of life. I now understand that the presence of danger isn’t a given. Now move along.

We are so excited to be hosting Frances Gaffney this summer as our first Artist-in-Residence! She’ll be working at the AIC May through August, frequenting the trails to create beautiful and thoughtful pieces inspired by the local landscape.

Rich Lake 15 x 11 watercolor

She will not only be here to work on her art, she’ll also be here for you! Throughout the summer, Frances will be available to speak and interact with the public. Every Sunday, guests will discover Frances working out along the trails. Feel free to stop by to observe, chat and share techniques and tips with Frances. She will also be leading drawing and watercoloring workshops on the last Saturday of every month. In these workshops, participants will discover their own artistic style while further developing their skills. Don’t miss out on these unique opportunities to connect with this fantastic local artist!

Throughout the summer, Frances will be writing entries for our blog about her work and experiences at the AIC! Learn more about Frances in our Q & A post with her.

There is a sequence to these painting/meditations. Balance really should have come before Extension but I loved the image in Extension so much that I jumped ahead. That threw me a little out of balance. I’m going back to producing the works in their original order.

What does it mean to be balanced? When one’s life is in balance one is well rested, properly nourished and ready to be engaged. We know what it means but how many of us truly allow ourselves to lead balanced lives? Protecting our precious environment is important because it preserves clean, beautiful and natural places where we can go to restore balance in our lives.

Yes, those are toy jacks spinning on the mountain tops. Be playful.

Frances

Learn how to be balanced in your home with the help of a Burden Basket.

________________________________________

We are so excited to be hosting Frances Gaffney this summer as our first Artist-in-Residence! She’ll be working at the AIC May through August, frequenting the trails to create beautiful and thoughtful pieces inspired by the local landscape.

Frances presenting at the AIC’s 3rd Annual Loons and Logs Day

She will not only be here to work on her art, she’ll also be here for you! Throughout the summer, Frances will be available to speak and interact with the public. Every Sunday, guests will discover Frances working out along the trails. Feel free to stop by to observe, chat and share techniques and tips with Frances. She will also be leading drawing and watercoloring workshops on the last Saturday of every month. In these workshops, participants will discover their own artistic style while further developing their skills. Don’t miss out on these unique opportunities to connect with this fantastic local artist!

Throughout the summer, Frances will be writing entries for our blog about her work and experiences at the AIC! Learn more about Frances in our Q & A post with her.

The Apache Nation has a wise tradition called The Burden Basket. Before entering the home of an Apache family guests are asked to leave their burdens at the door. This allows everyone who enters the home to be fully present. Here, too, I ask you to leave your burdens at the door. Write your trouble on a piece of paper and drop it into the Burden Basket. Feel free to take it with you when you leave, or not. Whatever is left in the Burden Basket will be thrown into the burn pile.

Frances

____________________________________

Frances has set up her own Burden Basket to allow herself and her guests to enter her workspace relaxed and balanced. How do you stay balanced?

Throughout the summer, Frances will be writing entries for our blog about her work and experiences at the AIC as our Artist-in-Residence! Learn more about Frances in our Q & A post with her.

]]>https://esfaic.wordpress.com/2014/06/12/a-note-from-frances-burden-basket/feed/1sunyesfaicThe Burden Basket outside of the AIC classroomA Note from Frances – Extensionhttps://esfaic.wordpress.com/2014/05/28/a-note-from-frances-week-2/
https://esfaic.wordpress.com/2014/05/28/a-note-from-frances-week-2/#commentsWed, 28 May 2014 20:53:21 +0000http://esfaic.wordpress.com/?p=257In my last posting I wrote that I would think about the difference between the concepts of expansion and extension and get back to you. Perhaps the following is a poor analogy but I offer it nonetheless. An extended hand is one that is reaching out just like when you extend your hand to grasp that of another in greeting or assistance. An expansive hand would be open to receive that handshake. We must be open to both offering and accepting at the same time for a handshake to work. We must also be extensive and expansive in order for learning and growth to take place. This give and take happens consciously when we agree to extend our hand and it happens on a sub-atomic level where we are not aware of all the consequences of our willingness to extend.

“We must also be extensive and expansive in order for learning and growth to take place.”

Extension – Orbitals by Frances Gaffney, pastels

In the pastel drawing titled Extension – Orbitals the invisible realm of the electron cloud is made visible. Each tiny white speck of pigment on the paper represents a tiny photon of light. I like to believe that this is where it all happens; where the action of prayer takes place. Within these photons of light are tiny particles, full of possibility, reaching out, extending into the Universe. The mystery is that somehow, without signals, without symbols, beyond space and time, particles find other sympathetic particles. They leap within this free-trade zone to join new clouds and form new atoms. They become part of new molecules, new chemicals and compounds and so on up the chain to form matter. This happens throughout nature. Leaves both absorb and release gases. The magnetic field of the Earth reaches out and the needle on the compass responds.

Similarly, perhaps particles are activated by our feelings or our prayers. We don’t have the capacity to understand exactly how prayer is answered; where these tiny particles travel along their way, nor do we need to. Your prayer or your asking is the extension and that is enough. When you pray for something, simply accept the potential for that something to manifest. Accept that handshake! It means that you have expanded and made room for this prayer to be answered. Acceptance is the expansion.

__________________________

We are so excited to be hosting Frances Gaffney this summer as our first Artist-in-Residence! She’ll be working at the AIC May through August, frequenting the trails to create beautiful and thoughtful pieces inspired by the local landscape.

Frances Gaffney at AIC’s Rockwell Kent Day, Sept. 2013

She will not only be here to work on her art, she’ll also be here for you! Throughout the summer, Frances will be available to speak and interact with the public. Every Sunday, guests will discover Frances working out along the trails. Feel free to stop by to observe, chat and share techniques and tips with Frances. She will also be leading drawing and watercoloring workshops on the last Saturday of every month. In these workshops, participants will discover their own artistic style while further developing their skills. Don’t miss out on these unique opportunities to connect with this fantastic local artist!

Throughout the summer, Frances will be writing entries for our blog about her work and experiences at the AIC! Learn more about Frances in our Q & A post with her.

]]>https://esfaic.wordpress.com/2014/05/28/a-note-from-frances-week-2/feed/2sunyesfaicExtension-OrbitalsFrances Gaffney at AIC's Rockwell Kent Day, Sept. 2013A Note from Frances – Expansionhttps://esfaic.wordpress.com/2014/05/16/a-note-from-frances-week-1/
https://esfaic.wordpress.com/2014/05/16/a-note-from-frances-week-1/#respondFri, 16 May 2014 17:31:30 +0000http://esfaic.wordpress.com/?p=248We are so excited to be hosting Frances Gaffney this summer as our first Artist-in-Residence! She’ll be working at the AIC May through August, frequenting the trails to create beautiful and thoughtful pieces inspired by the local landscape.

She will not only be here to work on her art, she’ll also be here for you! Throughout the summer, Frances will be available to speak and interact with the public. Every Sunday, guests will discover Frances working out along the trails. Feel free to stop by to observe, chat and share techniques and tips with Frances. She will also be leading drawing and watercoloring workshops on the last Saturday of every month. In these workshops, participants will discover their own artistic style while further developing their skills. Don’t miss out on these unique opportunities to connect with this fantastic local artist!

Throughout the summer, Frances will be writing entries for our blog about her work and experiences at the AIC! Learn more about Frances in our previous post.

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Coltsfoot welcoming Frances to the AIC

The Residency is on! Upon my arrival I was welcomed by a yellow blaze of Colts Foot. According to Wikipedia, this is an invasive from Austria. It’s good for coughs but don’t give it to a baby. Too much Colts Foot can harm the liver. I thought it looked just beautiful. On the outside of the building where I will be working there is a huge sign that reads “Classroom”. That is what I’ll call this space from now on.

Frances’s home away from home – the Classroom

This summer I plan to use the Classroom to create fifteen paintings for my series Feeling is the Prayer. These paintings will be based on a combination of carefully chosen meditations and symbols from nature. Pray Bees was the first painting in the series. The other title for that same piece is Center. We must center ourselves before we begin a meditation, or before we begin anything, really.

“Expansion” by Frances Gaffney

The second piece in this series is titled Evolution. We now know that evolution is not linear but more like the opening of a flower, with petals reaching out in many directions at once. This image serves as a metaphor for Expansion which is also the second title for this painting.

The classroom is proving to be a great workspace for Frances

The Classroom is an expansive space and has already been helpful. It allowed me the much needed room to complete Evolution/Expansion and to design the next meditative piece, Extension. What is the difference between expansion and extension? Let me meditate on that and get back to you.

Peace,

Frances

]]>https://esfaic.wordpress.com/2014/05/16/a-note-from-frances-week-1/feed/0ExpansionsunyesfaicColtsfootClassroom ExteriorExpansionClassroom InteriorAn Interview with Frances, an Adirondack artist and AIC’s First Artist-in-Residence!https://esfaic.wordpress.com/2014/04/25/an-interview-with-frances-an-adirondack-artist-and-aics-first-artist-in-residence/
https://esfaic.wordpress.com/2014/04/25/an-interview-with-frances-an-adirondack-artist-and-aics-first-artist-in-residence/#commentsFri, 25 Apr 2014 17:08:32 +0000http://esfaic.wordpress.com/?p=230We are so excited to be hosting Frances Gaffney this summer as our first Artist-in-Residence! She’ll be working at the AIC May through August, frequenting the trails to create beautiful pieces inspired by the local landscape. She will not only be here to work on her art, she’ll also be here for you! Throughout the summer, Frances will be available to speak and interact with the public. Every Sunday, guests will discover Frances working out along the trails. Feel free to stop by to observe, chat and share techniques and tips with Frances. She will also be leading drawing and watercoloring workshops on the last Saturday of every month. In these workshops, participants will discover their own artistic style while further developing their skills. Don’t miss out on these unique opportunities to connect with this fantastic local artist!

Frances Gaffney at AIC’s Rockwell Kent Day, Sept. 2013

Check out the Q & A below to learn more about Frances, her interests and her art:

AIC: It seems as though a lot of artists develop interest in art at an early age. Was this the case for you?

France Gaffney: It was discovered very early that I had an ability to draw but the parochial school I attended didn’t have an art program. My parents enrolled me in a correspondence course while I was in elementary school. It exposed me to various media and gave me an introduction to art history. Growing up near New York City I had many opportunities to visit museums and galleries with my grandparents who lived in Manhattan.

AIC: With your hometown in New Jersey, how did you find your way to the Adirondacks?

Gaffney: My older brother, Dan, attended Paul Smiths College in the late ‘70s. In those days, the bus from NYC arrived in Saranac Lake at one o’clock in the morning. I would jump off the bus and savor my first breath of delicious mountain air. I believed that there was magic in the Adirondacks and I loved every rock and leaf. I still believe this. The Ancient Adirondacks, as they are called, impart wisdom that we can tap into to improve our health and over-all well being. Over the years I have brought my children here and they, too, have grown to appreciate the wilderness.

AIC: Do you enjoy working and living in the Adirondacks?

Gaffney: My goal is to never leave the Blue Line. I don’t need to be entertained so I don’t care if I can’t access cable T.V. or that there is no shopping mall nearby.

AIC: With everything from mountains to museums inside the Blue Line, do you have a favorite thing to do in the Adirondacks?

Gaffney: There is nothing better than to sit near a waterfall and listen to the water splashing over rocks. Add some birds and dragonflies and the scene is complete and I am at peace.

AIC: What and who inspires you as an artist?

Gaffney: Richard Gilkey was a West Coast painter that I admire for his unique interpretation of how to paint the landscape in oils. He used a lot of black, which I never do, and it gave his paintings a strong presence. John Singer Sargent is everyone’s favorite. His plein air watercolors are very fluid, gestural and express an immediate impression. Rembrandt has the most beautifully elegant drawings. He used an economy of line to produce emotional responses. His work was very intuitive.

Self-portrait in a cap, with eyes wide open, 1630, by Rembrandt

AIC: What do you like most about being an artist? What do you like the least?

Gaffney: I love art history and the search for finding my place in that continuum. Working through visual problems and searching for symbols to express new ideas is a challenge I enjoy. Of course, I love color in all its complexities and nuances and I love meeting other artists and learning from them. What do I like least about being an artist? It would be nice if stereotypes didn’t exist and words like flakey, wacky or lazy were no longer applied when describing artists. We are very hard working people and what we value more than financial security is time. In fact, giving an artist the time and space to work is the most valuable gift. This is what I appreciate most about being able to work this summer as artist-in-residence at the AIC.

AIC: Looking at your work, you work with a variety of media – pencil, watercolor, oils, etc. Do you have a favorite?

Gaffney: I especially love to draw with graphite pencils. Sometimes drawings are undervalued and that is a shame because it is in the drawing, in the immediate response to the subject, that we find the most expressive lines. This brings me back to those incredibly simple, yet sophisticated drawings by Rembrandt.

AIC: We heard a little bit about your favorite artists and why you appreciate their work. Is there a piece of yours that is your favorite?

Gaffney: My favorite painting is Rainbow Falls. Two years ago I researched the Waterfall Trail that leads into the interior from The Ausable Club in Keene. It is a ten-mile round trip hike. I was determined to make this hike alone and after studying the map and carefully estimating how long the hike would take, how much food and water I could carry along with art supplies, compass and extra socks, I headed out. I’d hiked alone before but somehow this trip seemed intimidating to me. It only took a couple of hours to reach the Rainbow Falls and when I arrived there were a dozen kids, all about eight years old, climbing all over the rocks, barefoot and happy. It made me realize I had to lighten up. I am reminded of that every time I look at the drawing.

Rainbow Falls, graphite on paper, 39 x 26, 2011 by Frances Gaffney

AIC: Are there any overarching themes in your work?

Gaffney: I am especially interested in the science of consciousness and our new understanding of how the brain evolves. If it is true that what you believe you perceive then there are enormous implications for positive change both individually and globally. There is a growing movement of spiritual ecology and I would like to experiment with the field of intention. I am looking for proof that we truly create with our thoughts and feelings.

AIC: You plan to continue to work on your art series “Feeling is the Prayer” this summer at the AIC. Can you tell us some more about the series?

Gaffney: I believe we are evolving in our very own lifetimes into intuitive people. We can use this intuition to change the world. I want to believe it’s true and in my search for proof I plan to create a series of paintings that are a combination meditative exercises and illustrations of ideas. For example, in a new piece titled Evolution I will be painting a large Chrysanthemum that is floating high above Blue Mountain Lake. We now know that evolution is not linear but more like the opening of a flower, with petals reaching out in many directions at once. This is also a metaphor for expansion. Expansion is an idea that one can focus on during meditation to open one’s self to new ideas and understanding. My goal is to produce fifteen paintings in this series over the summer. I will be looking to nature for symbols to express more ideas such as balance, connection and manifestation.

“Pray Bees”, 12 x 9, oil on canvas by Frances Gaffney. An installment in her “Feeling is the Prayer” series, Frances highlights the critical importance of the declining pollinators in the global environment and questions what would happen if we all began to imagine a world with a healthy bee population?

AIC: Often, art has this sort of stigma around it that causes us to be self-conscious about our artistic abilities and shy away from art because of it. Any advice to wary artists out there?

Gaffney: We are fortunate to live at a time when anything goes in art. There are no set rules for how representational an image has to be – no rigid standards against mixing media. There is no wrong way to draw or paint. Never underestimate the stick figure.

AIC: This summer at the AIC, you’ll be leading art workshops for the public. From your perspective and experience, why is art education important?

Gaffney: One can have success using artists materials by attending a workshop. It’s a condensed way to learn how to use brushes and paints or pencil and paper and to get on a fast track to express oneself. Self expression makes people happy and the more happy people there are in the world the better!

Art is a great creative and emotional outlet for everyone, regardless of age or training.

AIC: And finally, the most important question – As a kid, did you color in or outside of the lines?

Gaffney: Every Christmas I got those paint-by-number sets. I would ignore the numbers and just go for it, painting color where I thought it belonged, adding figures and houses and anything else I thought was needed. As a kid, I took everything apart and sometimes I regretted it. I’m still that way. Recently I experimented with a new watercolor canvas. I stretched the finished paintings in embroidery hoops and embroidered the paintings with colored floss and silk ribbon. Some were appalled to see me stab away at the canvas but I found it very satisfying.

Many thanks to Frances for her involvement not only in this interview but also her summer long commitment at the AIC! Be sure to check out more of her work on her website and keep up to date on her work as Artist-in-Residence on AIC’s website and Facebook page!

]]>https://esfaic.wordpress.com/2014/04/25/an-interview-with-frances-an-adirondack-artist-and-aics-first-artist-in-residence/feed/6sunyesfaicFrances Gaffney at AIC's Rockwell Kent Day, Sept. 2013CaptureRembrandt_aux_yeux_hagardsCapture 2Capture 3Pray BeesArt is a great creative and emotional outlet for everyone, regardless of age or training.Taurus the Bullhttps://esfaic.wordpress.com/2014/02/05/taurus-the-bull/
https://esfaic.wordpress.com/2014/02/05/taurus-the-bull/#commentsWed, 05 Feb 2014 21:18:51 +0000http://esfaic.wordpress.com/?p=220This post was written by amateur astronomer Bob Fisher, who has been a passionate star-gazer since childhood when he first saw the superbly dark skies of the Adirondacks on camping trips. A part-time resident of Olmstedville since 1991, he taught earth science and astronomy in New York City public high schools for more than two decades before making his permanent home here in 2006. Now a substitute teacher in Warren and Essex county schools, he is also an active astrophotographer. Year-round, he frequently leads astronomy workshops in local schools and libraries, and at the Adirondack Interpretive Center.

On Saturday, Feb 8th 2014 at the AIC, he will be leading “Wonders of the Winter Sky”, an indoor and (hopefully with clear skies) outdoor presentation on the stars, constellations and nebulae visible this time of the year. The program will begin at 6:30 pm. Call or email to register.

The constellation Taurus (Bob Fisher)

On a clear midwinter evening, look high above the southern horizon and you will see a V-shaped group of moderately bright stars. These stars form the center of the large constellation Taurus. Imagine, as did the Sumerians four thousand years ago, that this pattern outlines the horns of a charging bull. The bright red star Aldebaran prominently shines on his lower (southern) horn. The stars of the horns are called the Hyades. In Greek mythology, they were the daughters of Atlas and Aethra. Their appearance was associated with the rainy season. At a mere 150 light years away, The Hyades are actually an open cluster of related stars. Look above and a little to the right (west) of the V and you’ll see a compact cluster of blue stars called the Pleiades.

The Pleaides (Bob Fisher)

Although this beautiful little asterism is known as the Seven Sisters, some people see six stars with the naked eye, where others claim they can see eleven. With the magnification of 7×50 binoculars, a hundred or more of these gem-like blue stars are revealed in the cluster. The view is spectacular.

Taurus, Latin for bull, symbolizes strength and virility. The bull has been worshiped for millennia. In the “Great Hall of the Bulls” at Lascaux Caves in southwest France, dynamic images of charging bulls cover the subterranean walls. These images, dating back at least 17,000 years, are among the most beautiful examples of Paleolithic art yet discovered.

Cave Art at Lascaux (Canton Museum of Art)

As these paintings precede any known language, we can only conjecture about the meaning and importance of these creatures to those who painted them. Some researchers speculate that the bulls of Lascaux are the earliest known reference to the constellation Taurus.

When the Sumerians named the constellation four thousand years ago, the Sun was moving across Taurus on the first day of spring, the Vernal Equinox. This event gave the bull particular importance as a symbol of fertility and regeneration.

In 1054, observers noticed a bright star that had suddenly appeared in the eastern region of Taurus. Chinese court astrologers made a detailed and accurate account of this event. Their records describe a star so bright that it was visible in full daylight. It slowly dimmed to invisibility over the course of a few months. Native Americans in the Southwest painted an image on rock which we believe is a pictorial record of the same event.

We now know that this star was a massive supernova. Through small telescopes, we can still see the remnants of this explosion as a faint nebular glow. The Hubble Space Telescope clearly shows an oval of colorful filamentary tendrils radiating outward. At the center is a dense neutron star the size of an average city, spinning thirty times a second. It ejects intense x-ray radiation and magnetic energy, causing the nebulosity to glow. We call this object The Crab Nebula. The name was coined by nineteenth century astronomers because the nebular filaments evoked a celestial crab.

Crab Nebula (Hubble Space Telescope)

In time exposure photographs of the Pleiades Cluster, wispy nebulosity surrounds the brightest stars. It was once thought that this nebulosity was actually gas and dust left over from the formation of the bright young cluster. We now know that it is a dust cloud that the Pleiades randomly wandered into.

Don’t wait too long to look for the magnificent celestial bull. By March it will have sunk too low in the West to be seen after sunset.

]]>https://esfaic.wordpress.com/2014/02/05/taurus-the-bull/feed/1sunyesfaicThe constellation Taurus (Bob Fisher )The Pleaides (Bob Fisher)Cave Art at Lascaux (Canton Museum of Art)Chaco Canyon Petroglyph (Chaco Communications, Dan Lussier)Crab Nebula (Hubble Space Telescope)Celestial Queenhttps://esfaic.wordpress.com/2014/01/14/celestial-queen/
https://esfaic.wordpress.com/2014/01/14/celestial-queen/#respondTue, 14 Jan 2014 19:15:18 +0000http://esfaic.wordpress.com/?p=206This post was written by amateur astronomer Bob Fisher, who has been a passionate star-gazer since childhood when he first saw the superbly dark skies of the Adirondacks on camping trips. A part-time resident of Olmstedville since 1991, he taught earth science and astronomy in New York City public high schools for more than two decades before making his permanent home here in 2006. Now a substitute teacher in Warren and Essex county schools, he is also an active astrophotographer. Year-round, he frequently leads astronomy workshops in local schools and libraries, and at the Adirondack Interpretive Center.

On Saturday, Feb 8th 2014 at the AIC, he will be leading “Wonders of the Winter Sky”, an indoor and (hopefully with clear skies) outdoor presentation on the stars, constellations and nebulae visible this time of the year. The program will begin at 6:30 pm. Call or email to register.

Beautiful, radiant Venus: for millennia across many cultures she has been the icon for love and beauty. The old astrological symbol: for Venus is still used in astronomy to signify the planet, and in biology to represent the female of plant and animal species. Except for the Sun and Moon, Venus is the brightest natural object in the sky.

When he observed Venus with his crude telescope in 1610, the great Italian scientist Galileo was the first person to notice that the planet went through phases just like our Moon. This observation, along with observations of Jupiter and its orbiting moons led him to believe that the Sun is the center of the Solar System. This finding, favoring Copernicus’ Heliocentric Theory put him at odds with the Catholic Church which considered it heresy to consider anything other than the geocentric view, in which the Earth is the center of the universe. The battle between Galileo’s observations and the Church’s law, ultimately led to his arrest by the Inquisition.

Until the early twentieth century, it was widely speculated that Venus harbored lush tropical forests and exotic life forms. Unfortunately, space probes beginning in the early 1970’s, have given us a picture of a place closer to hell than to paradise! The planet’s surface maintains a temperature in excess of 750 degrees F, while overhead there is a constant, thick atmosphere predominantly composed of carbon dioxide with sulfuric acid rain that evaporates before hitting the dry, barren surface. Welcome to the hottest planet in the Solar System.

As Venus orbits the Sun and gets closer to Earth, it appears larger while displaying an ever thinning crescent. On January 11, 2014, the planet reached inferior conjunction, where it was closest to Earth. On that day it was viewed at 5 degrees away from the Sun with 99.5 % of the surface in shadow. Careful observations (avoiding the blinding glare of the Sun), revealed a razor thin crescent. An amateur astronomer in Romania caught some amazing images of the event. Later this month it will reappear in the dawn sky just before sunrise. Through February and March it will rise higher each day and on March 23rd will rise in the East two hours before sunrise. If you are awake, have a look at this dazzling, beautiful object. When observed, it’s easy to understand how she influenced sky watchers for millennia.

Between November 11th 2013 and January 9th 2014, I took a series of photos of Venus .The first two photos show a half disk at 50% illumination.

Venus over Trout Brook, Olmstedville on Nov. 11, 2013.

Telephoto view on Nov. 11th, showing “half Moon” phase when the planet was highest in the sky after sunset.

Telephoto view on December 30th, 2013.

View from Riverside Park, NYC on Jan 9th. Looking Southwest across the Hudson River ten minutes after sunset.

The last two photos were taken on January 9th, two days away from Venus’ closest approach to Earth. They show a crescent with only 1% illumination. By using a 200mm telephoto lens my views are similar to what Galileo saw when he made his historic discovery in 1610.

**Update (1.29.14)

Venus is back. It is now a “morning star”. at 6:00A.M.on January 28th, I took this image from Chestertown, NY. Venus near the waning crescent Moon were an awesome pre-dawn treat!

]]>https://esfaic.wordpress.com/2014/01/14/celestial-queen/feed/0sunyesfaicVenus over Trout Brook, Olmsteadville on Nov. 11, 2013.Telephoto view showing "half Moon" phase when the planet was highest in the sky after sunset.Telephoto view on January 30th, 2013.View from Riverside Park, NYC. Looking Southwest across the Hudson River ten minutes after sunset.Mangified view of photo at Riverside Park, showing the thin 1% illuminated crescent of Venus.Moon and Venus Starbucks 090